LD Update: League honors; Mexican friendlies

NASL News: Pablo Campos of the San Antonio Scorpions was honored as the league's Offensive Player of the Week while FC Edmonton goalkeeper Lance Parker claimed the Defensive Player of the Week honor... The Scorpions announced a two-day event they are dubbing the "Futbol & Fireworks." The first night, June 30, will feature a doubleheader of their league contest against Atlanta and an international friendly between Mexican sides San Luis and Monterrey, the current CONCACAF Champions League winners. The league match versus Edmonton four days later on the Fourth of July will feature fireworks.

USL Pro News: The LA Blues are borrowing the Home Depot Center for a night as they play host to a friendly between Mexican sides Leon and Santos Laguna, the reigning Mexican league champions and CCL finalists... Weeks before facing MLS affiliate Philadelphia Union in the US Open Cup Quarterfinals, the Harrisburg City Islanders registered a 3-2 exhibition victory Tuesday evening against the top-flight side at Hersheypark Stadium. The result was the last for Peter Nowak, who was released as the Union coach Wednesday.

LD Update: NASL Game Night; PDL-MLS friendly

Special Drillers retro shirts for FC Edmonton Sunday evening

FC Edmonton 1:0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers - The hosts had a tough task for nearly an hour, losing Antonio Rago to a red card in the 33rd minute for taking down Abe Thompson. They found a little luck in a diving save from Lance Parker on Thompson's resulting penalty attempt. Playing with 10, Edmonton found some luck when Shaun Saiko connected with Michael Cox in the 66th minute. Andy Herron, returning from an MCL injury for the Strikers, apparently re-aggravated the injury, departing after a half-hour. - MORE

PDL News: Reading United AC took their MLS affiliate to the brink in a friendly Saturday evening, falling 3-2 to the Philadelphia Union.

LD Update: MLS signings and friendlies

Dynamo blank Laredo Heat: In the midst of an off week, the Houston Dynamo broke from intra-squad play to face the USL PDL’s Laredo Heat, picking up an easy 5-0 win – rosters not available – at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.

Not a lot can be gleaned this far before the season for a USL PDL team because the college players do not report until May 1, but the Heat are one of a handful of teams that tend to have a number of older players. “Under normal circumstances we would not be playing teams such as the Dynamo so early in the preseason,” General Manager J.J. Vela said. “However, because of their schedule and the start of their season we welcomed the challenge to firstly help them out with an exhibition game and also to see what we have in order to secure the best players for our Premier Development League season.

The Dynamo, “ramped up a bit” following the loss at Seattle according to Brad Davis were expected to utilize much of their squad.  “I think we’ll mix it up,” Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said about his planned approach to Thursday’s match. “We’ll probably make a lot of changes like we’ve done in preseason.” 

Philadelphia Union to play affiliate Reading: The MLS club and its affiliate, Reading United AC, will continue their series of friendlies with a third installment. The Union will face the PDL club Saturday, June 9 at Albright College’s Shirk Stadium. Last year the two clubs played to a 1-1 draw at the end of May.

Battery bring in Sanyang: There seems to be an unexpected pipeline between Seattle and Charleston, SC. The Sounders have signed two former Battery players in Osvaldo Alonso and Alex Caskey over the years. Now it looks like it is a two-way path as former Sounder Amadou Sanyang was added by Charleston along with University of Washington product Taylor Mueller.

Despite only being 20, Sanyang has already been around MLS for three seasons having originally signed with Toronto FC at the age of 17. The Gambia youth international spent last season with the Sounders.